Rack.



G. J MAAS.

RACK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 1913.

1,087 ,3 1 0 Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHINGTON. D. C.

G. J. MA'AS. RACK. APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 1913.-

1,087,31 O, Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@M %W] w GEORGE J. IVIAAS, OF NEGAUNEE, MICHIGAN.

RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

Application filed May 26, 1913. Serial no. 769,780.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Gnonsn J. Mans, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Negaunee, in the county of Marquette and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Racks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention has for its obj ect to provide a simple, economical and efiective springcontrolled self-lifting suspensible rack for napery, towels, or other household supplies such as clothing or the like, which rack is designed to be suspended from the ceiling or wall of a room whereby articles when not inuse, or for the purpose of drying, can be elevated to an overhead position where they will thus not form an obstruction to passage thereunder. The articles so arranged will materially increase the capacity and convenience in small kitchens, bath-rooms or the like, while at the same time articles so disposed are accessible through manipulation of a cord that is connected to the rack, whereby it can be readily raised or lowered. It is also obvious that articlesto be dried after washing, thus suspended, will be in a position to receive the full benefit of the heat that naturally rises to the higher elevation. Furthermore the articles so suspended are kept in a sanitary condition, owing to the fact that personal contact therewith is avoided, it being obvious that the rack may, in some instances, be conveniently positioned over a stove or heater in order to obtain the full benefit of the radiation.

It is also within the scope of my invention to provide the rack with one or a series of bars, whereby the capacity of the device may be increased, it being understood that in such instances the spring for elevating the rack constituting a motor is proportioned with reference to the maximum load whereby the lift is insured.

With the above objects in view the invention consists in certain peculiarities of con struction and combination of parts as set forth hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents a side elevation upon a small scale of a rack embodying the features of my invention, the same being shown in its lowered position for receiving the articles to be suspended; Fig. 2, an enlarged detail partly sectional elevation of the rack, the section being indicated by line 2-2 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3, a detailed end sectional view, the section being indicated by line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 1, another detailed end sectional View, the section being indicated by line H of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, an elevation of another form of my invention, upon areduced scale, wherein a series of rack-bars are shown in connection with the hanger, and Fig. 6, a sectional plan view of the same. Referring by characters to the drawings, 1 represents a roller, hollowed at one end, for the reception of a coiled spring 2, the samebeingwound about a spindle 3 that is centrally disposed within the bore of the roller. One end of the spindle 3 is revolubly mounted in a bushing 3, with'which the base of the hollow portion of the roller is provided. The mouthof the cored end of the roller 1 has fitted thereto a centrally apertured cap 4, through which the outer end of the spindle extends, the said cap in this instance-constituting the hubrportion of a drum 5 that is fast upon said roller and in 7 effect forms an integral part thereof for the reception of a runner to be hereinafter described. One end of'the coiled spring is fast in a collarv 6 that abuts the inner face of the cap and the opposite end of said spring is made fast to the roller by its egagement with an aperture in the bushing 3'.

The roller 1 which is revoluble independent of the spindle is locked to the spindle by a set of gravity-controlled tumbler-dogs 7, which dogs are carried by the cap and arranged to engage one of a series of notches in a disk 8 thatis secured to the spindle.- By this mechanism when the roller is at rest it is locked in connection with the spindle. This construction of spring-controlled roller forms no part of my invention, except as to its general application, whereby the desired resultis obtained, the sald construction being similar to that of the spring-controlled Hartshorn type of roller.

The spindle 3 is held against rotation in V opposition to the coiled spring by a ratchetwheel 9, which ratchet-wheel is engaged by a pawl 9, he same being mounted upon the face-plate 10" of a hanger 10. The end of the spindle protrudes through the face-plate and carries a knurled button 3", wherebysleeve may be in said spindle may be rotated in order to wind the coiled spring, whereby tension of the same may be adjusted, it being understood that this spring constitutes a motor for lifting the rack mechanism. The opposite end of the roller 1, from that just described is fitted with a hubbed drum 5 which corresponds to the drum 5 with the exception that its hub is provided with a central trunnion member 11, the same being revolubly mounted within a recess that is formed in a face-plate 10" of a hanger 10. The hangers 10 and 10 in this instance form shell-like housings for the drums which they incase and they are rigidly connected by a hollow rod or sleeve 12, which sleeve incases the roller. It is apparent that the skeleton form if desired, but in this instance it is preferably provided with solid walls for the purpose of receiving articles to be suspended, thus constituting in conjunction with the hangers, a non-rotary rack-bar.

Each of the shell-like hangers are provided with upwardly extending runner guides 13 in the form of tubular necks for the passage of flexible runners 14, which runners, as shown, comprise cords or cables. The inner ends of these runners are connected to the drum port-ions of the roller and from thence they pass through the guides, their outer ends being attached to the wall or ceiling of a room by eyes 15, whereby the rack mechanism is suspended. Sleeve 12 which comprises the connecting bar between the hangers is provided with a centrally disposed eye 12 for a controlling cord 16, which cord is of sufficient length as to be within the reach of the operator irrespective of the position of the rack.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that the various household articles such as towels, napery, or the like can be thrown over the non-rotary sleeve 12 when it is desired to dry or elevate the same to a position clear of the passageway thereunder, it being understood that the rack has been drawn down to an accessible position with relation to its elevation. The operator, by a slight downward pull of the cord 16 will cause disengagement of the gravity tumblers with the disk 8, whereby the motor spring will exert force to cause rotation of the roller and thus in rotating the runners will be wound upon the drums and the entire rack-member will climb upwardly coincident to such winding, whereby it will assume a predetermined elevation, it being Within the control of the-operator to check rise of the rack at any point by a slight pull upon the controlling cord 16.

It will be observed that by extending the mouths of the runner-guides 13 at a considerable distance from the axis of rotation of the roller that the weight and leverage of the device will act to prevent any winding tendency of the sleeve-connected hangers. Hence said h angers will serve as a substitute for the fixed bracket members into which the pintles of an ordinary spring-controlled cur tain-roller are mounted.

Referring to Fig. 5 of the drawings I have illustrated a pair of skeleton hangers 17, into which the naked spring-roller 1 is mounted, carrying the end-drums 5 and 5, as shown. In this modified form of the device the skeleton hangers 17 are provided with apertured runner-guides 17 which project upwardly and over the drums and through which the runners travel. Lower arms of the hangers are cross-connected by a rod 18, which rod in this instance takes the place of the sleeve connection shown in the first form of my invention illustrated. The rod 18 may be provided with a series of horizontally disposed radially adjustable auxiliary arms 18, which arms are fulcrumed upon a stem that depends from the hanger connection 18. In this exemplification of the invention the auxiliary arms will materially increase the capacity of the rack, it being ap parent that said arms may be adjusted in fan-like shape, whereby washing can be hung thereon for drying purposes. It is also within the scope of the invention to utilize the bracket arms for suspending various vessels as stated, it being particularly desirable for sanitary reasons and space economy in some cases, to arrange the vessels or cooking utensils upon a bracket and thereafter elevate the entire device so as to remove these articles whereby they are cleared from the floor space.

I claim:

1. A swinging rack of the character described comprising a pair of non-rotary connected hangers, a spring-controlled revoluble roller journaled in the hangers, pairs of flexible runners having ends secured to the roller ends whereby the rack is held in suspension, the opposite ends of the runners being arranged for attachment to a fixed member and guides from the hangers engageable with the runners for holding the said rack against rotation.

2. A swinging rack-bar of the character described comprising a pair of connected hangers, a plurality of rack-bars carried by the hangers, a spring-controlled revoluble roller j ournaled in the hangers, pairs of runners having ends secured to the roller ends, their opposite ends being arranged for suspending the rack, guides for the runners eX- tending from the hangers whereby the rackbar is held against rotation, and a controlling member depending from the hanger mechanism.

3. A swinging rack-bar of the character described comprising a pair of hangers, a rod connecting the hangers, a roller having a trunnion loosely mounted in one of the hangers, a spring-controlled spindle having one end in locked engagement with the companion hanger and its opposite end in rotative engagement with the roller, drums secured to the ends of said roller, runners having ends secured to the drums guides extending upwardly from the hangers for engagement with the runners whereby the rack-bar is held against rotation, means for suspending the opposite ends of said runners to a fixture, and a controlling member depending from the hanger mechanism.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Negaunee, in the county of Marquette and State of Michigan, in the presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE J. MAAS.

Witnesses:

J 0s. H. WINTER, THOMAS C. Yarns.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, liy addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. I 

